Kingdom Hearts: War for the Heart
by Chison
Summary: This tells the tale of the three sides: Light, Dark, and Nonexistance. They all want the power that Kingdom Hearts has. Through war, only one side will win.
1. The Gathering

The War of the Heart

A KH fan fic

By:

Chison

Life as a journey, which we make good choices, or ones that lead us down a blackened path, one that many people have trekked down before. Before they reach the light upon the other side of the door. The door to the light, one of eternal and pure light, with such brilliance, blinds the eyes of the evil, and in turn, make them weak before the others of light. The Unknown, the Heartless, and the Keyblade bearers, all have made this grueling journey unto the light. Only one of them will be saved upon the day of ultimate struggle between the force of Darkness, Light, and the nexus of Nothingness. There at the foot of the Door, they will clash in the greatest war this- or any other Existence has ever witnessed. Only one will enter the door and receive ultimate power.

All three sides are preparing their most powerful warrior, pitted against one another, fighting until the death to claim the ultimate power of Kingdom Hearts, one that rules the existence of all worlds, this universe and beyond. This tale has transcended time and space, being passed down as legend for many centuries, to remind people of the great war that waged at the foot of the door.

"Axel...Are the preparations ready?" One asks from the shadow, with a hooded black cloak, flowing from head to toe, and the sleeves past his hands. "Yes...they are ready..." Axel said, pulling his hood off to reveal a pair of ice eyes, and crimson red hair, spiked in every direction, "good...now we are ready to claim Kingdom Hearts. Inform the others." He said, waving his left hand in front of him, while his right glowed a bright yellow. Axel slowly backed into the stonewall behind him, and vanished. "Now it is a matter of time before we can claim Kingdom Hearts and its power."

"Hey Donald and Goofy are you guys ready to go?" Sora shouted from outside the small house. "Yea Sora we are ready to go!" Donald came out first, and then followed by Goofy, both with their equipment, a wand for Donald, and a shield for Goofy. "Remember guys, we need to go to Hollow Bastion before we can go into the darkness to Kingdom Hearts." They both nodded with determined expressions on their faces, they ran toward the dock for the Gummi ship.

"Yes... It is almost time to make our assault upon Kingdom Hearts, and take its power for our own doings." A man sat in the shadows, wearing a black cloth that covered most of his face, leaving one orange eye. He wore a thick red shirt, with a billowing black cape, and black boots. "And we will finally crush him once and forever...right Sora?" He looked on. "Yes we will...we will have the power that Kingdom Hearts possesses." It looked exactly like Sora, only his body and clothes were midnight black, with the exception of his eyes.


	2. The Three Threads of Fate

The War of the Heart: Three Threads of Fate

A KH fanfic

By:

Chison

"Hey guys, what are going to do today?" he asked the two girls that were with him, they just shrugged their shoulders, he sighed, and fell leaned over backwards on the bench. The teen had jet black hair, and his eyes were green as grass, he wore a necklace, with a white and black pattern, and a long sleeve black shirt, with a blue vest, and a pair of white baggy pants. "Well I don't want to sit here all day.... Lets go do something." He said, looking back at one of the girls. "We could always go to the bowling alley." One girl said, having blonde hair, and ice blue eyes, wearing a matching necklace to the boy, and a yellow short sleeve shirt with a pair of black jeans. "Didn't we do that yesterday?" The other girl said, looking back to the boy, she had brown hair with dark brown eyes, wearing a white long sleeve shirt, with a black vest zipped up in the front, and a long, flowing blue dress. "Come on Zashi, let's go to my house and play Kingdom Hearts!" Zashi looked at Marlena, "you still play video games?" Iris, looked at Marlena, saying, "You've never played Kingdom Hearts Zashi? I thought you liked video games?" Surprise washed over Zashi, "uh...yea I like video games, but I haven't been keeping up lately..."

Marlena, stood up, "come on guys, let's go to my house and play Kingdom Hearts." Zashi got up from the bench and then looked to Iris and said, "are you coming?" holding out a hand. She took it, to help her up, and then she followed the other two, down the walkway of the ocean shore, looking at the blue horizon of ocean and sky. Iris sighed, and continued walking.

The trio finally found Marlena's house, where a black cat at the foot of the door greeted them. "Don't mind Samwise." She said, holding the door open for her friends and the cat. They took off their shoes, and looked around the house. It had a giant open room, where the dining, living and kitchen were combined, and a small stair leading up. "Come on in guys, my room is up stairs, let's go!" She ran up the stairs, with Iris following suit, and Zashi following her. Marlena's room was a mess, with clothes and make-up all over, she had posters of her favorite bands, and a big T.V. Marlena sat on her bed, while Iris lounged in the chair, and Zashi found some floor to sit down on.

Marlena turned on the T.V. with the remote and then said, "hey Zashi, could you turn on the game since your closest?" with giant puppy dog eyes. He rolled his eyes, and crawled toward the system, and turned it on. They each took turns playing the game, progressing farther than Marlena had, and they watched as the scenes of the game played out, Zashi noticed at one point, Iris was shedding a tear from the dialogue. Soon it grew late, and Marlena went to go get some snacks, for everyone and Iris seemed to be daydreaming. Zashi noticed, and poked her forearm and said, "whats wrong?" Turning her attention from her daydream, she said, "Oh nothing, I was just thinking." Zashi tilted his head and asked, "about what?" Iris blushed, saying, "No its stupid, you don't want to hear it..." Zashi swallowed a lump in his throat and said, "I...don't think it will be stupid." "Well." Iris started, but Marlena burst into the room with chocolate cookies and cold milk. "We can't eat them in my room, we gotta go to the kitchen." The two of them followed Marlena into the kitchen, and sat down at the table and started snacking on the cookies and talking about the game they had just played.

Marlena and Zashi talked to each other, Iris finished her cookies and just started to stare out the window, and let a small sigh pass her lips as the rain started to fall on the window. Iris excused herself from the table and went to the bathroom, while she was away, Marlena turned to Zashi and asked quizzically, "Why did you give her that necklace?" Zashi wetted his lips, and bit his tongue, and finally said, "its for her to remember me by if she moves away..." "She wears it all the time, I've never seen her take it off, even when she sleeps." Zashi's interest peaked, "Really? She never takes it off?" Marlena nodded, as Iris came back and asked with confusion, "What were you guys talking about?" "Nothin." Marlena smiled with her eyes closed, Zashi looked at his watch and said, "Holy cow! Its almost 1'oclock! My must be worried sick about me, but I live across town...maybe she will let me stay the night." He got up and looked around for a phone, and then Marlena tapped his forearm with it, he took it and walked to another part of the room, calling his mom. He came back after a few minutes, saying, "My mom says its ok..." he handed Iris the phone, and then she wandered off to make her call. She came back, with a smile on her face, and said, "I can stay the night, but Zashi your going to sleep on the couch, wither you like it or not." He nodded, saying, "That's fine with me, I like sleeping on couches."

They had clothes dropped by their parents, and then they went to the bathroom to brush their teeth, then they decided to play more of Kingdom Hearts before they finally went to sleep...


	3. The Dream of the Light

The Dream of the Light

A KH fanfic

By:

Chison

Marlena, after brushing her teeth, walked up back to her room, and Iris followed closely behind her, and she turned to Iris and said, "Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" Iris nodded, and then climbed into her bed, and fell asleep within 10 minutes, but Marlena always had a hard time falling asleep, so she stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take her over, and when then it finally happened. Her dream however would prove to be anything but normal.

Feeling a warm light on her face, she woke up again, but she found herself on the seashore, she sat up and looked around, but could not see any of the industry or buildings on the coast she knew, and then she pulled herself to her feet. She looked around but could not see a soul around, and then she started walking toward the island, but she stopped. _This looks like Destiny Island...._ Marlena thought to herself, _maybe I played too much Kingdom Hearts..._ she thought as she explored the island, which included a small boat, made from trees on the island. She found a small patch of vines that she moved out of the way, and found a tunnel into the rock; she followed it for a while, and found a small cave.

She ran her hand along the cool rock, and then she noticed the drawings; they looked exactly like they did in the game, but she shrugged it off. Then she saw the door. She walked toward it, and used her hands to feel the door, the grains of the wood, and then there came a voice, saying, "There are three doorways, you must choose one to enter." After the voice spoke, Marlena found herself in complete darkness, but then a bright circle appeared on the floor, and she looked and she saw three doors.

The three doors, one was a white door with light pouring from its cracks, another was a silhouette of one, and there was a door that was almost transparent. "Choose your door, your destiny." The voice came again. "Which door do I choose?" Marlena asked, but no one responded, She walked to the silhouette of the door, as she grew closer, a dark mist started to pour from its cracks, and then she backed away, and then looked to the door with the light. Marlena slowly walked to the door, and grasped the handle, and slowly turned, trying to peek inside, she let the door swing fully open, and she walked toward the light. She tried to dim the light with her arm, but she still was blinded, and then she passed out, the last thing she saw was a brilliant light around her...


	4. The Dream of Darkness

Kingdom Hearts: Dream of Darkness

A KH fanfic

By:

Chison

After waiting for the girls to brush their teeth, he finally got into the bathroom, and brushed his teeth, he walked out to the couch, and sat laid down, pulling the sheets over him, he watched the rain fall on the window, thinking that would help him fall asleep, but it didn't. He moved his hands behind his head, and continued to try to fall asleep, but he had a hard time trying. He let out a sigh as he walked to the fridge and opened it, but instead of light pouring from the appliance, it was instead a very thick dark mist. Zashi tried to use his voice to tell the girls, but he couldn't seem to speak at all, and then he collapsed on the cold tile.

When he woke up, he was in darkness, Zashi felt cold, and he tried to make sense of this dream. _This is the weirdest dream I've ever had..._ he thought to himself, but then he felt a tug at his heart; he fell to his knees, clutching his chest. His breathing became heavy, and he saw a little black creature with a pair of glowing white eyes and antenna, carefully crawling toward him. _This is a Heartless from Kingdom Hearts...Whats it doing in my dreams?_ Zashi thought to himself as the creature kept crawling toward him, but just as it reached him, he heard a voice.

"You can either fight the power of Darkness, or you can let it flow through you." He looked up, he saw a Heartless version of Sora, completely in black and his eyes yellow like the little Heartless, "what do you want with me?" Zashi barely breathed, Anti-Sora threw his head back, laughing, then he said, "what if I could give you ultimate power, the likes of this universe or any other has ever seen?" Zashi slowly got up, and said, "I don't need ultimate power! I have my friends!" Throwing his arms down, but just then, he felt the power of Darkness. His mouth fell agape from the power, and then he started to feel a tingling sensation in his hands, and then a Keyblade appeared in his hand.

"Is this mine?" Zashi asked himself aloud, holding the black Keyblade in his hand. "That is the strongest of all the Keyblades; it is Oblivion." Anti-Sora said, "if you come with me, we can work with your gift, and then you will become all powerful, like I am." Zashi looked into those glowing eyes and said, "Will I get to see my friends?" Anti-Sora turned his back to him and said, "Of course you will, you will be all powerful. Come with me." He started walking deeper into the darkness, and Zashi followed him, into the Darkness...


	5. Dream of Nothingness

Kingdom Hearts: The Dream of Nothing.

A KH fanfic

By:

Chison

Iris finished brushing her teeth, and followed Marlena up to her room, where she was offered the bed. She gladly took it, and got changed into her pajamas, and then she crawled into the bed, and then started to stare out the window. It was still raining, and now it had gotten worse, and now cracks of thunder and flashes of lightning illuminated the dim sky, and she tried to fall asleep to the sound of the rain falling on the window, but she could not. Iris sat up in the bed, and stared out the window, watching the rainfall, and the lightning strike, but as the flash lit up the sky, there was a hooded figure standing out in the rain.

_Who could that be?_ Iris thought as she got out of bed and changed into her clothes from earlier that day, and she carefully made her way across Marlena's room, trying hard not to make sounds as she made her way through the clutter. Iris opened the door, and then made her way downstairs, and then to the front door and grabbed one of Marlena's jackets. She quietly opened the door trying hard not to wake Zashi she slipped outside. She ran to the other side of the house where she saw the hooded figure, but she could hardly see a few feet in front of her face, and then a flash of lightning bolted through the sky, and there it was. Standing right in front of her. Iris took a few steps back, shocked and said, "Are you alright?" The hooded figure simply lifted its head and then a voice spoke to her, "I am quite all right, however I am looking for someone." Iris grew uneasy, thinking that his person was after someone; she said with a weak tone, "do you know whom your looking for?" The figure simply shook his head and said, "I was told that I could find this person in this world, and nothing more was given."

Iris simply stood in the rain, looking at this shadowy figure looming over her. She looked at the figure closely, _Could it be?_ She thought to herself, but she dismissed the thought, _is he really from Kingdom Hearts? Is he an Unknown? _Iris squinted her eyes, and then with a cautious hand, she moved it toward its hood, but his left stopped hers. "Do not touch me." It said, throwing her hand away, but then a boom of thunder came and a bolt of thunder came down. This made the hooded figure look up at the sky, noticing that the flash of light was a deep purple; Iris also noticed this. "They have finally found this world." The figure claimed, and Iris looked around, and forming from the ground, came a little creature, with wandering antenna, and a pair of yellow glowing eyes. "The Heartless!" Iris shouted, the figure turned and said, "your world is done for now that they have arrived, I can take you to a place where they will never find you." Tears started to swell in her eyes as she shouted, "what about my friends!"

The figure threw his arm out in front of him, saying, "There is no time! The Heartless are moments away from devouring this world! Take my hand!" Iris hesitated for a moment, and then she reached for its hand, and then she suddenly felt empty, as if, she had never lived her life. Iris felt herself falling, and then she began to forget little things, what day it was, what time it was, and then she forgot her name....


	6. Starting a Journey

The Start of a Journey

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

It was still night when Marlena woke up she rubbed the back of her head, and her eyes focused. Looking around, it seemed she was not in her bedroom; she got up from the cold cobblestone, and walked into what was the center court. "Where am I?" Marlena said, rubbing the back of her head, she found a shop, and wandered in. A gruff blonde haired man stood behind the counter with a piece of straw in his mouth, "Hey little girl are you lost?" Marlena grew mad; "I'm not a little girl and my name is Marlena." The man came surprised and raised his hands and said, "sorry. What can I do you for," Marlena looked at him and said, "Where am I?"

The man looked at her seriously; "Where you are? You are in Traverse Town..." Marlena's mouth fell open as she whispered the last phrase again, and the man put out a hand and said, "Name's Cid. I run the shop, and do work on Gummi ships." Marlena reached out a hand and shook it, and then Cid put his left hand to his chin and thoughtfully said, "The last person to ask me that question was a kid named Sora...That must have been about 2 and a half years ago..." Marlena's interest perked, "Do you know where Sora went to?" Looking away from her he said, "last I heard, we was headed to Hollow Bastion."

"Hollow Bastion?" Marlena repeated, "Where I am from originally, but ever since Ansem gave himself to the darkness, we all had to flee from being more of his experiments with human hearts and the Heartless." "How can I get there?" Marlena asked, but Cid shook his head, "The only way is with a Gummi ship, with a navigation piece which, I gave to Sora to go to Hollow Bastion." Marlena became despaired, saying, "There is no way to see my friends, or to get back to my world?" Cid looked at her and said, "Don't give up hope; it's the only thing you have." Cid walked from behind the counter and put a hand on her shoulder, "I know of a few people who have what your looking for. Lets to talk to them." They walked out of the building, Cid flipped a sign over to read: Out: Back At 12:00. Walking past some of the buildings, they passed into another district, and found a small, blue house.

Cid knocked on the door three times, and a small click came from the other side, he grabbed the handle and opened it for Marlena. She walked inside, and found a few people inside: one had brown hair and a pair of green eyes, and wore a beautiful pink dress, another, had spiked blonde hair, and with blue hypnotizing eyes, he carried a giant sword, wrapped in cloth and a red cape behind him. A girl, about Marlena's age, sat in a chair, having black hair and a blue headband, and wore arm and leg guards, a man, with brown hair, and a angled scar across his face and a jacket with fur around the collar, and black jeans. They all looked at Cid as he walked behind her, "Cid, who is this?" The girl with the pink dress asked, "Everyone, this is Marlena, she just came here from another world, and wants to find her friends again." The girl who spoke came and extended a hand to Marlena, saying, "I am Aeris, the man in the corner," pointing to the man with the blonde hair, "that's Cloud," then to the man with brown hair, "That's Squall," then pointing to the girl with black hair, "and that is Yuffie."

After Marlena explained her story to the group, Cloud spoke up, "The Heartless have returned, and another force I cannot explain have also appeared recently. It would not be safe to journey to Hollow Bastion without company." Squall looked at him with concern, "another force other than Keyblade masters and the Heartless?" Cloud simply nodded. "I don't want to fight the Heartless or anybody else, I just want to see my friends." Marlena said, looking around the room, then Cloud walked in front of her and said, "I will accompany you to Hollow Bastion, but that is as far as I go. From then on, you are on your own." She simply nodded, and they walked out the door, and back into the first district. "Do you even have a weapon to defend yourself?" Cloud said, she simply shook her head, Cloud stopped and reached for something behind his back. "It was mine long ago, but I don't use it anymore." He handed her a sword, wrapped in cloth, she unwrapped it, and it gleamed in the street lamps. It had a golden hilt, and a double-edged blade, with some inscriptions, which she could not read, and she put it in its sheath and slung the blade around her back, and they walked out of the double doors, and eventually found the right Gummi ship and they blasted off to Hollow Bastion...

* * *

A/N: I know this has come late! Its hard trying to make three different characters seem like one story! I am working hard on it though....just wait, it will get better! 


	7. The Master is Chosen

The Master is Chosen

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Marlena stepped from the Gummi ship, to find that water, was defying gravity and falling up, up into an ocean that was about 100 feat above them. "This is where we part paths, I must return to Traverse Town to protect the ones I…" Cloud's voice trailed off, then he turned his back to her but she stopped him saying, "you can't come with me?" He simply shook his head and said, "I cannot, but don't give up hope; it's the one thing you have." Then he sealed the door behind him, and blasted off the planet, back to Traverse Town. _Everyone has disserted me… But I will keep Hope! It's the one thing I have!_ Marlena thought to herself, as she jumped to each platform, and she reached the halfway mark, and she took a good look at the castle. A giant heart with a cross was made on the front of the castle, and it seemed to be betting, but she dismissed it, and noticed the puffs of violet smoke coming from the stacks, and she stood there, looking at the castle. Her eyes grew wide; _this is where Sora lost his Keyblade to Riku… _She took a few steps forward into the puddle on the platform, and then she turned to the next platform with renewed vigor, climbing faster to Hollow Bastion.

Finally reaching the top platform, she looked around at her surroundings, and found that it was just an ocean, spreading for as far as the eye can see, the blue of the horizon and the blue of the ocean, seemed to blend together. The floating platform came from the castle, and she climbed on, and it rushed her to the castle gates, she slowly made her way to the pair of grey, large doors and pushed them open. Marlena readied her sword in her hands, and slowly made her way up the stairs, but noticed that the door to the inner chamber of the castle was open. _Someone is here…_ She thought, putting a harder grip on her sword, she made her way to the right, and through a door.

Books upon shelves, upon rooms awaited her, she made her way through the library, keeping a close eye to what was in front of her, finding a set of stairs leading up, she climbed them, and noticed a table with a multitude of books open. _What's this?_ Marlena thought to herself, as she sat down and started to read the books, thumbing through them, she learned that they were reports; of the Unknown and the Heartless. _What was Riku doing when he produced Dark Sora? According to this, he upset the natural balance of Light and Dark… _ Marlena got up from the table and then started to walk toward the door, but noticed something; some of the books seemed out of place. She prodded the wall, to find that it was in fact, an illusion. Putting a hand to the illusion, it passed easily through, and then the rest of her body followed.

Coming out of the opposite end, she gasped for air, and almost fell to her knees; the portal felt as cold as ice, and she felt like she had been in there for a long time. Marlena got up and looked around, she knew she was still in Hollow Bastion, but in a different section. She took a few cautious steps toward the center, which had a heart engraved on the floor; then she looked up to find a figure. Marlena made a yelp as she saw the figure, and took a step back, feeling uneasy about the figure; it had a massive black cloak with a hood that seemed to absorb the light that entered, the sleeves extended past the hands, as with the feet as well.

Marlena narrowed her eyes, "What do you want with me?" The figure made no moves, she continued, "Why did you bring me here! Can you talk or what?" Suddenly, a Keyblade shown in the figure's hand, and it slowly started walking toward her. "Stay back!" Marlena shouted, pointing the sword at the figure, but it kept walking toward her, its footsteps making an echo in the giant room. A small clink came from the Keyblade tapping her sword, and then she tried to strike the figure, but it easily dodged the attack, but did not return one, she kept on trying, each time she missed, she swung the sword harder, and then the made a high pitched clink when the sword came in contact with the Keyblade. Jumping back, the figure looked at the Keyblade and it vanished, only to be replaced with a much different one. It had a transparent heart as the chain, and the hilt was also a heart, but it was black, and the blade was white as snow, and the figure charged at Marlena. She tried to deflect the blows, the figure was too fast, and she was sent flying toward a wall, but gravity pulled to the ground; tumbling and hitting her head on the wall, her head was throbbing, then noticed the figure rushing toward her, she put her sword in front her, and it made a horrible clang, and she opened her eyes.

A Keyblade had appeared in her other hand, the figure jumped back, and Marlena got up from the floor, and looked at the weapon in her other hand; it had a gold hilt with a silver blade, then she started to walk toward the figure, but the figure had vanished, and been replaced with someone she knew; Zashi.


	8. What People will do for Love

What people will do for Love

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

BY:

Chison

"Zashi?" Marlena starred, "is that you?" The teen simply nodded his head and she came running toward him with open arms. "I'm glad you're all right! I was worried about you!" She came close to wrapping her arms around him, but he stepped out of the way and simply said, "its good to see you too Marlena, but I need to ask something." After he moved, Marlena almost fell flat on her face, she regained her balance and turned and sadly said, "I haven't seen her…" Zashi took a few steps from her, then, making a fist with his left hand, "don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see you Marlena, but I'm looking for Iris." Marlena's mouth hung open, then she said the first thing that came to her mind, "why don't we work together?" Zashi quickly turned around, "that would be great, but there is a problem with that." She tried to look into his eyes but she could find nothing; there was another voice. "Zashi is the rightful Keyblade master, and with that power, he will find the one he loves."

Marlena whipped around, only to find the Heartless version of Sora. "Zashi is the rightful Keyblade master? I summoned the Keyblade fighting against…that thing! It belongs to me!" Marlena shouted to the Heartless, it seemed unaffected from her words and started walking toward Zashi. "Stop right there!" Marlena moved in front of Zashi, and summoned the Keyblade, and held her sword in the other, "you have to go through me to get to him!" Heartless Sora grinned, and the yellow lights seemed to glare, and he passed right through her, like a freezing wind; Marlena collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest, and her breathing grew very heavy. "You see, Zashi is the Keyblade bearer and he will find the one he loves and unlock the power of Kingdom Hearts!"

Flipping to her back, she looked up at Zashi from the floor, and a tear swelled in her eyes, and slid down her head, "_Zashi would go to such depths of pain and sorrow to find Iris? Or is…Dark Sora controlling his mind?"_ Zashi was expressionless, and then he held out his right hand, and Marlena became enveloped in a bright light, and then she felt nothing, Zashi now had the Keyblade in his hand, however, it was totally black, from keychain to blade. He started to walk away from her, but paused and said, "Marlena, I love Iris…even so much as to put myself through Darkness to even see her face for even a moment. I must leave you; you were just the Key carrier, one to deliver the Keyblade to the rightful owner. Nothing more." With that, Darkness surrounded him, and then he disappeared, leaving Marlena on the floor. She got up, and looked at her sword, and repeated what Cid had said, "Don't give up Hope, it's the one thing you have." Another tear fell from her face, and landed on the cobblestone floor, and she got up, and walked back, out of the room, toward the illusion.

However the illusion was no longer there! Marlena feverishly used her hands to feel the wall, hoping for any kind of response, but there was none…


	9. Aftermath

Aftermath

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Marlena sank to the floor; crying, "Zashi…Why would you put yourself through Darkness to reach Iris? Its not what she would want…" "Because he is under his control." Another voice said, she turned around, to find Cloud, towering over her, "Dark Sora is controlling your friend, using him for Darkness." Marlena got up from the cold floor and looked into his eyes and said, "is Zashi the rightful Keyblade bearer?" he looked at the floor, then to the wall, and said quietly, "I don't know." "However, there has been a change of plans; I am coming with you." Marlena looked into his eyes, "why the sudden change of heart, Cloud?" he looked away and coldly said, "It is because this is much bigger than just Light and Dark, there is a third power, called the Unknown."

"The Unknown?" Marlena asked, with a puzzled look, then she put her left hand to her chin and thought, "The Unknown's powers come from Non-existence; the forgetting of dreams, people, and anything else. Their power is nearly limitless, and there are only 5 of them, but they are extremely powerful." She looked at him, "even more powerful than the Heartless?" Cloud looked at her coldly, "they created the Heartless." "They realized that they could not keep control of them, and banished them to Hollow Bastion, however, they were found by Ansem, and released again."

Cloud turned his back to her and said, "we need to leave and figure out a plan to stop both the Unknown and Heartless." "Lets go." Marlena grabbed a part of his crimson cloak, and was enveloped in a multi-colored light, and found herself next to the Gummi ship. "Why did the Unknown create the Heartless in the first place?" Marlena asked, climbing into the passenger side, "No one knows, some claim that they were created to only steal the memories of the victims, but it changed into Hearts." The ship started to fly high into the air, and then blasted through the sky, Soon they arrived at the starry night of Traverse Town, docking, they walked back to the small house where Marlena was first brought. Cloud opened the door, and she followed, and sank into the chair at the table, and Cloud went into the back of the house. Marlena looked around the house, and noticed that no one was home except herself and Cloud, she thought about the figure she had fought, when he came back into the room. "The first thing to; teach you magic." "lift your sword into the air and think about the heat from a fire and launch it from your sword." Marlena raised the sword, and then remembered a burning flame, and then she shot it at Cloud. He used his hand to stop the ball of fire coming toward him, "you're a fast learner, I think that's all we need for now." He headed for the door, "I have to leave you now, I need to take some of business", "don't go running off again." Then he shut the door behind him. _"I wonder where he went to?"_ Marlena wondered, as she saw Cloud walking down the street, she put her sword on the counter, and rage came to her mind, _"Zashi your so stupid! Iris wouldn't want you to go through Darkness!"_ She clenched her fist, and then, she felt warmth coming from her hands. It was a Keyblade!

Her rage instantly left as she looked at her new Keyblade. _"Is this mine? I thought I was only the Key bearer?"_ Marlena swung it around, and then she looked at her reflection in the metal, there were bags under her eyes, realizing she had not slept since she had first arrived, she decided to get some sleep, she dismissed the Keyblade, and found a bed and gently drifted off to sleep…

* * *

A/N: Ha...Sorry I put all of you on the cliff-hanger for about 3 and a half months...if you still read this...you are REALLY dedicated to my stuff...so hang in there, I've renewed fic writing for this story, and I will finish it, contary to what my profile says!  



	10. Awakening of Power

Awakening of Power

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

_Iris…Iris…_ A voice called to her, she turned in her makeshift bed, and sat straight up. "ZASHI!" she cried, with her eyes wide open, and her breathing heavy, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked, there was a teenager, with white hair, and a black blindfold over his eyes, and also a hooded black cloak over his body. "Where am I?" she whispered to herself, holding her head in her hands, "Your safe with us…don't worry." The teen said next to her, he lifted her up to her feet and she looked around the room. It was a massive room, with candles all around, giving light to the majestic paintings on the walls. "This is the Castle Oblivion, you can stay as long as you like…" Iris got off of the bed and wandered around, taking in the sight of the white marble walls, and the gold candleholders, she turned to the blindfolded teen and asked in a squeak, "do you know what happened to Zashi?"

He turned away from her and simply said, "he has fallen into darkness…" Iris looked at him confused, "into darkness?…" He turned around, and started to walk out of the room, he motioned for her to follow; they passed a narrow hallway, and up a flight of stairs into another room. This room was very plain compared to the other; it had columns in the four corners and a glass ball in the center, on a pedestal.

"From here, we can see all worlds…" he waved a hand over the ball, and darkness swirled around inside, then it came to an image: Zashi. Iris cried out his name, but he did nothing, then from the left side of the sphere, came another person: Anti-Sora. "This…abomination has control of your friend, if you want to save him, you need the power of the Unknown to free him." Iris lowered her head, and her eyes shifted back and fourth in thought, _there was someone else…what was her name? I spent the night at her house and we played Kingdom Hearts until 1'oclock! What was her name?_ "How come I can't remember?" she whispered to herself, then the blindfolded teen spoke, "inside Castle Oblivion, you loose your memory, its only little things at first, then its people, then… You forget yourself." She looked at him with fear in her eyes, "all my memories?" He simply nodded, and then another voice came, "there is great power in forgetting." They turned to see another man with a black cloak, with yellow and blue symbols painted across his cloak, and a red mask.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am DiZ, I keep watch over the Unknown, which they sometimes get out of…control." Offering her a hand to shake, she took it, and then she looked into his eyes, which were a beady orange. She turned away slightly, back to the blindfolded Unknown, and said, "If I become a Unknown…Will I keep all of my memory?" "No…you will only get to keep a partial memory, Unknowns travel the road between light and dark, keeping the balance. In return, they must give their memory of their former self." Iris turned back to DiZ and said, "I want the power to save Zashi from the darkness…I want to become an Unknown." He nodded his head and said, "very well," and he raised his hands, and light shot from one hand, and darkness shot from another at Iris, and a brilliant flash of grey pulsed from her.

She moved her head in her own black cloak, first to DiZ, then to the blindfolded boy, then her hand came to her neck, and felt her necklace, given to her by Zashi. _Zashi…I've gained power, but will you attack me when you see me in person because of what you've become?  
_


	11. Peace for a Moment

Peace...for a Moment

A Kingdom Hearts fan fic

By:

Chison

Waking up early the next morning, Marlena decided she would take a walk in Traverse Town, and see some of the sights. Looking around the small town, her mind kept on replaying what had happened at Hollow Bastion, she didn't want those memories, but they had happened: Zashi had turned evil. There was still no sign of Iris either, and she began to doubt if she could save the two of them, or even herself…Marlena's hands came to her face to cover her tears, but she felt a hand on her shoulder, "are you all right?" Aeris asked.

"I don't know if I can save them…I don't even know if I can save myself…" she whispered to herself, Aeris sat down next to her and gently rubbed her back, comforting her, looking down the street, she saw Cloud, walking with his left hand on his sword. "Cloud…" Aeris whispered to him, he looked first at Aeris then to Marlena, and then he said, "there is a way to save your friends." Marlena's head shot from her hands and looked up at him. "Kingdom Hearts would give you the power to save your friends, if you haven't given up on them already."

"I would never give up on my friends!" Marlena shouted, standing up before Cloud, who just turned and said, "follow me." She walked behind Cloud and back to the blue house, he stopped, and turned around saying, "Hollow Bastion no longer has a portal to the darkness…" Marlena's hope began to die, "however there is a new world we have found called Twilight Town…" she repeated the name to herself, then Cloud went on, "we think the new world might have a portal to darkness, where Kingdom Hearts could be found… It might be a trap put by the Unknown or Anti-Sora, but we won't know until we go there…"

Marlena walked into the house and almost grabbed her sword, but she didn't remembering that she had a Keyblade with her. She walked out side, where Cloud was already waiting at the docking station for the gummi ships; Marlena ran towards him, and they climbed into the small ship, and blasted off into the inky depths of space. Cloud turned his attention from the controls and asked, "have you been working on your magic?" Marlena gave a vigorous nod, and said, "I can also summon a Keyblade!" Shock swept Cloud's face, and he turned his attention back to the controls, "_Marlena has a Keyblade? Anti-Sora said that she was only a key carrier for the true master…What could this mean?_" Cloud thought to himself as various worlds flew by, with Marlena sitting, staring out the window, and remembering back to when the three of them were friends…


	12. Gathering of the Fates

Gathering of the Fates

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

It was a sunny day on the coast, the sun beaming down on the people in the water, and those sun tanning. There was a little girl, only about 5 sitting in the car, watching the scenery and people fly by, listening to her mother's voice, "don't worry you ll make lots of new friends here, just like in the big city…." She was tuning her out, and just started out the window.

The car pulled up to the house, although it was not large, but homely, as her mother said, and hired moving men came and put their stuff into the house, "mom, can I go outside and play?" Marlena asked her mother, who gave a nod, and the child ran out the door, and took a deep breath of salt air, and started to wander along the coast. She looked to the sky, when she heard her mother's voice in the distance, "don't stay out after sundown." Marlena kept walking, picking up shells as she walked. She would walk to the water to wash off the shells, and continued on her way.

Rolling from the distant horizon, a sudden fog swept over the beach, and reduced Marlena's vision to almost nothing. She dropped her shells and looked around, only finding the mist of the fog. Wandering around for what seemed to be hours, Marlena thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when she saw a figure looming in the distance. She ran toward it, and came face to face with the shape. As she was running, another shadow appeared from her left, and they found their way through the mist. Marlena looked at the two other children, one was a boy and the other a girl. They looked at each other, confused, but the boy spoke. "I'm Zashi." Pointing to himself, the girl spoke up as well, "I'm Iris…" Marlena looked at the two of them and said, "I'm Marlena, I just moved here from the city."

Suddenly, the fog retreated back to the ocean, and the moon was hanging in the sky, "Oh no! I told my mom that I was going to be back by sundown!" Marlena waved a hand to the other kids and started running off to her house. She rushed home to apologize to her mother, and to tell the exciting news about her friends.

For the next 14 years, they would play together, laugh together, and grow up together, in the sleepy seaside town. What the of the children didn't see that night were the Heartless, looming in the mist, waiting for the perfect moment to take their world, but something had repelled them, keeping them at bay...


	13. Meeting the Unknown

Meeting the Unknown

A Kingdom Hearts fan fiction

By:

Chison

Landing a little outside the city, Cloud and Marlena started to walk to the city, looking around for anything, or anyone for that matter. "Where is everyone? This place seems like a ghost town…" she said to Cloud, who had opened the gate into the inner-city. "I have a feeling that we will find out very soon." Looking at the buildings, they seemed like they were taken from the pages of a history book, they resembled those in Traverse Town. Marlena noticed that it was twilight, and pointed to the horizon and said, "that's really pretty…" Cloud walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder, making her jump, "we are here to find the portal remember? Not the scenery." The made their way through the city, looking for something that was open, and they found a little pub. Cloud walked in first, and then motioned Marlena to follow. The only person in the building was the bartender, who was wiping down a glass. "Its rare that we have visitors. Come, sit and have a drink." The gruff man said, having brown hair, and a wild brown beard, and dull dark eyes. Cloud took a seat in front of him and said, "Listen, I need you to tell me if you've seen anyone else around here." The man put down the glass and put a hand to his chin and said, "Well now…I can't say I have…" Cloud got up from the bar and started walking out, and Marlena followed, "How are supposed to look for something if we don't know where to start?" Cloud stopped, and turned around saying, "Its fine, we will go and find--" His eyes grew wide, and his mouth slightly dropped. Marlena tilted her head to the right and said, "What's wrong Cloud?" She quickly turned around, to find the Unknown, standing on the street lamps and rooftops.  
"You are here for the portal to Kingdom Hearts right?" One of them spoke up, removing his hood, revealing spiked flaming red hair, and ice blue eyes. Cloud reached around for his sword, and pulled it out in front of him and said, "Yes, we are here for Kingdom Hearts!" The Unknown with red hair gave a low chuckle and said, "You are fools, you cannot stand a chance against all of us. Especially with our new addition." pointing to one standing on the street lamp, who removed her hood. Marlena took a few steps forward and shouted, "IRIS!" Iris looked down on her friend, and said, "Iris…that was a name I had." Marlena whispered to herself what Iris had said, then Marlena shouted, "what about Zashi?" When she heard this, a light came across her face, like she was remembering something, and she said, "I love Zashi…That's why I forgot all that I had…the only memory I could keep was his." Marlena stared at her friend, then said, "you've forgotten everything? Even me?" pointing to herself, Iris stared at her for a long time then she shook her head and whispered something to herself. She then jumped from the street lamp and down onto the ground, only about four feet away from Marlena, who took a step back, but did not cower in front of her friend. "Iris, we don't have to be enemies, we can look for Zashi together." suspicion washed over Iris' face and she said, "How could I trust you that you would not turn against me?" Marlena put a hand to her chin, and thought for a moment, and then she said, pointing her finger to the necklace around Iris' neck, "you remember the necklace given from Zashi? I helped him pick it out." Her eyes grew wide, and she lifted a hand to feel her necklace, and her mouth fell open a little, but before she could say anything, the redheaded Unknown appeared in between the two girls, holding two martial arts blade-circles in his hands.  
"You should just walk away…" He said pointing them toward Marlena, who lifted her right, and a white light started to show from her hand, and suddenly a key blade appeared. "I want to talk to my friend." she said with a stern voice, staring down the redhead Unknown, who gained a huge grin, saying, "I love a girl who thinks she can defeat me." "Axel, now is not the time for fighting…we can deal with them later." One of the other Unknowns spoke, and turned its back and vanished. "Your lucky lady…" whispered Axel to Marlena as he disappeared, and Marlena made the key blade disappear as well, and took a sigh. Cloud walked behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, saying, "I didn't think you had that much courage to stand up to them…I'm impressed." Marlena just smiled and said, "When it comes to my friends, nothing will stand in my way." Cloud gave a slight smile and said, "we still need to find that portal." then pointing to a castle on top of a hill, "I think we should start looking up there. We might find some answers." Marlena nodded, and they continued through the town, the came to the gates, and Cloud tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "Maybe I could do something about that." Marlena said, passing him, and having the key blade in her hand again, a small beam of light shot from the end of the key into the lock, and it clicked open. The climbed to the top of the hill, and the front door, which was oddly dark, almost black. They looked at each other, and Cloud put his hand on the door handle, and started turning it…

HA! This time I really made the cliff hanger thing on purpose, not by accident!


	14. Invitation to Darkness

Invitation to Darkness 

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic 

By:

Chison 

Cloud slowly opened the door, and a brilliant light shone from inside the house, and after the light had faded, the room was completely dark, with only a pair of beady, orange eyes looking at the visitors from the ceiling. "Well…it seems we have some visitors…I want them dealt with quickly. Nothing should become between our quest for power Anti-Sora. Deal with them." the figure whispered to the darkness, and the pair of orange eyes left, but they were replaced with a pair of dull yellow eyes.  
Marlena tried to look past Cloud, but couldn't see anything, she grabbed the door handle and flung the door wide open. "Come on Cloud, lets go and find that portal." walking past him, he rushed in after her, but the door slammed shut behind them, leaving them in darkness. "I knew we should have found a different route into this…castle." Cloud said looking around, but it seemed the darkness faded, revealing cobblestone walls and floors. Marlena took a few more steps into the room, touching the cold wall, and noticing the picture hanging on the wall: it was Sora! "CLOUD!" She shouted, turning around, pointing at the painting, he walked beside her and looked at the painting, but he looked back at her, and said in a irritated tone said, "yes that's a nice picture of the landscape, now lets go." She looked back at the painting, and it was the landscape of Twilight Town. Something in her gut told her that she didn't imagine Sora in the painting, but she moved behind Cloud, who was looking at the walls and floor. There were two hallways that split, one right, and one left, he turned around and said, "the room splits…Which side to you want to take?"

Marlena looked at both, and pointed to the left hallway, and started to walk toward it, and Cloud took the right. "Hopefully these two paths will converge somewhere, until then, you are on your own Marlena, good luck." his voice echoing down from the hall, Marlena swallowed her lump in her throat and started walking down the hallway. "I wonder what Sora's face was doing in the painting? And why did it change?" Pairs of yellow eyes seemed to grow from the floor, crawling toward her, but when she turned around, there was nothing there, "I know someone, or something is following me…" Marlena thought to herself as she walked, she summoned her key blade, and whirled around, taking out one of the heartless on the wall.

Just then, hundreds of heartless started crawling through the floors, walls, and ceiling! Screaming, Marlena ran through the hall, with the heartless crawling after, hoping to find a big room to take care of them, she ran blindly through the hall, and ended up in a massive round room. The heartless crowded around her, making a circle, she kept turning around, trying to get a head count of how many were in the room with her, "I'm not sure if I can take all of these heartless at once…" sensing the fear in her, one of them started to come after her, but she saw him, and knocked him to the ground, and he vanished. They backed away, but then they started to melt into one another, and it started to form a human-like heartless, with she same dull eyes. Marlena readied her key blade, for whatever was coming next, but then she heard a voice: "You think you can defeat the next evolution of the Heartless?"

Anti-Sora seeped through the stone floor, taking his image after Sora, he held out his left hand and said, "You were simply a carrier for the Key, not even the Master knows why the key blade has still resonated with you." Marlena stared down the yellow eyes and said, "I want my friend back." Walking toward the new Heartless, Anti-Sora said, "your 'friend' has no interest in going back, all he wants to do is find Iris, who has forgotten him." Marlena took a few steps forward and shouted, "Iris still remembers Zashi! No matter what you've done to him!" Pointing to the new Heartless, he shouted, "do you recognize him now!" Marlena looked at the Heartless, stunned when it took upon Zashi's face. She let the key blade slip from her hand, and it gave a loud clang when it hit the floor and disappeared, Marlena fell to her knees, and started crying, saying, "Zashi how can I help you when you keep sinking further into Darkness!" Appearing in front of Marlena, Zashi looked down at her and said, "I want Iris back, and I will do anything to have her back." Summoning the key blade in her right hand, she swung at Zashi, knocking him about two feet away and onto his face.  
The room started to fade, revealing the hallway again, Marlena got to her feet, and looked around, "What the heck?" she whispered to herself as she slowly walked down the hall.

Making her way past wooden doors, the walls seemed to become darker as she walked, then she entered a massive room with six pillars holding the ceiling, she moved cautiously through the room with a massive rug on the floor with a heartless symbol embodied on it, she noticed the walls had changed from black, to a dark blue. She stopped. "I know where I am! I am in the Grand Hall of Hollow Bastion!" She walked slowly, with her mouth agape as she saw the massive machine with great puffs of white smoke coming from the vents, and the heart-shaped portal, and electricity shooting from one gear to the next, but then she heard some voices. She quickly, and quietly ascended the stairs, and poked her head through the hand rail. A man with white hair, orange, beady eyes and a beige cloak with black trim paced around the room. "There is only more heart required to open the portal then the way to Kingdom Hearts will be open again, and we will prevail." Anti-Sora stood and watched him pace around the room and asked, "What about that Marlena girl? Could she have the heart we are looking for?" He stopped and looked at him, saying, "If she had the heart, we would have taken it long ago when we destroyed her world!" Marlena swallowed her lump again, and tried to get a better view of the man pacing back and fourth, but she couldn't, then spheres started to form in the space above their heads, and a brilliant light shown down, revealing a man with white hair, strangely glowing green eyes, and a massive black angel wing, wearing a black leather jacket. "Ansem, they are already here in the castle, they have taken separate paths to come here."

Ansem turned to Anti-Sora and used the back side of his hand and smacked his face. "I TOLD YOU TO DEAL WITH THE INTRUDERS! YOU FAILED!" Falling to the ground, rubbing his cheek, he got up from the floor, "Ansem, are my friends here yet?" Marlena instantly knew that voice, it was Zashi! She moved around to get a look at him, he still had the same scruffy hair, and the necklace that matched Iris'. "You told me that they would come looking for me, where are they?" Zashi questioned Ansem, who turned away, Marlena got to her feet and climbed the stairs, shouting, "Zashi!" running toward him, with her key blade in hand, but she was cut off with a massive katana, the figure with the angel wing said, "if you want to reach Zashi, you first have to fight me." Marlena fell into her attack stance and said, "I don't care how many people I have to fight, I will have him back!" The figure laughed and said, "You think you can succeed where Cloud has failed?"


	15. Fragile

Fragile

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Marlena took a step back, saying, "there's no way Cloud could loose to you…" Anti-Sora grinned and gave a menacing laugh, "They are truly even, both in strength and in mind, but he is still trapped in a illusion." Marlena repeated to herself what he had said, then turned to Zashi, "Zashi we need to get out of here! Don't you remember the game? Ansem is evil!" He did nothing, with the exception of a quick wink; he stood still like a statue. Marlena caught his drift, and fell into her attack stance again, with her key blade out in front of her, looking over the man with the angel wing, she said, "so is he an illusion too? Or the real thing?"

Within a split second, her key blade clashed with the massive katana, and she jumped back, reeling from what had just happened. _"He moves so fast…I can't even see him!_" The man grew a long grin on his face, and vanished again, and again there was a clang, but it was not her key blade that defended herself, it was Cloud! "Sephiroth…I thought you were done for in our last bout." Cloud said, glaring at Sephiroth, who stood and said, "Remember we are equal, and no mortal can match our strength." With that, they both vanished, with constant, large clangs of steel against steel, and blurred images of the two flying around the room, trying to deal a swift blow to the other.

While watching Cloud and Sephiroth fight, Marlena ran toward Zashi, but was stopped by Anti-Sora appearing in front of her saying, "If you want your friend back, you will have to defeat me!" She tried to swing at him, but it flew right through him, like mist. Anti-Sora held out his left hand and created a key blade, which was identical to Marlena's except it was black. Rushing toward him, her key blade clanged against Anti-Sora's, Marlena swung the key blade low, trying to trip him, but it was no use, it left her wide open to his key blade, and she was sent flying back, about four feet from him. "Realize that your resistance is useless, you are not the real key blade master." Marlena got to her feet, and flung her key blade at him, making it spin rapidly, however he dodged it, but did not expect a second throw, and faster than the first. It knocked him to the ground, running past the heartless, Ansem turned around, grinning saying, "Dear child, you cannot defeat the Darkness, it will consume you." Just then, his eyes went wide, and he slowly turned around, to find Zashi with a key blade, "you think you can harm me?" He gave a menacing laugh as Marlena tried to swing at Ansem with her key blade, but is was blocked by a massive heartless molding behind him.

Marlena looked at the massive heart-shaped gate and shouted to Zashi, "we have to go into darkness to defeat Ansem!" Zashi took his attention away from Ansem and started running toward her, but a hand fell on his shoulder, he turned around to see Ansem! "Don't worry, this wont hurt you at all!" With that, he passed into Zashi, who turned black and fell to his knees. He clutched his head in his hands, and started screaming at the top of his lungs, making everybody stop; moving his hands away from his head, he slowly rose to his feet. Lifting his head, his hair had now turned into dark gray, and his eyes were now a eerie dark green and his voice had now blended with Ansem's.

"You are a fool to try and stop the Darkness, it will consume all!" Turning to Marlena, he now had darkness extending from his joints and fingers, his clothes turned into a dull grey, and a heartless symbol appeared on his chest. "ZASHI! YOU'VE GOT TO FIGHT HIM!" Marlena shouted, lifting his right hand, he tried to reach her, but instead a small light started to shine from Marlena's hand, then it drifted across the room, and into Zashi's hand, closing his hand, he looked up to her, with a grin on his face "I am the rightful key blade master, remember you were just the carrier." Turning away from her, he looked at Anti-Sora, he started to walk toward him, saying, "You are now worthless to me." With that, he waived his arms, and a small heart came from the darkness, which it looked at, then it faded to dust, holding the heart in his hand, he turned to Marlena, saying, "The heart is a fragile thing. It can be broken with a single action, or even something as simple as a word. It is weak." Crushing the heart in his hand, he pushed Marlena away from the portal, and walked right through, into the darkness. "ZASHI!" She shouted, banging her fists against the portal, trying to force her way in. Trying to summon her key blade, she realized that it was gone, taken by Zashi.

Defeated, she sat down on the steps and put her hands to cover her face and started to cry. Her tears fell like rain and she couldn't stop.


	16. An Unexpected Turn

An Unexpected Turn

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Walking to Marlena, Cloud gently put his hand on her shoulder, saying "don't give up hope; it's the only thing you have." Looking at him, she slowly rose to her feet, and looked around searching for Sephiroth, "Cloud, where did Sephiroth go?" Turning away from her, he said, "After Ansem was absorbed by Zashi, he left. I don't know where he went." Looking into the portal, Marlena placed a hand on the barrier, she then turned to Cloud and said, "we need to find the heart that would open this door…but I don't have a clue to where we should start…" her voice trailing. Cloud walked away from her, saying, "I know where we can start. The Underworld." She looked at him in shock, "the Underworld?" He gave a simple nod, then he turned to her, "Hades keeps track of all the hearts that go down there. Sometimes he keeps bodies." Marlena cringed at the thought, but she followed Cloud out of the room, and outside the castle; through Twilight Town, and back to the Gummi ship.

Climbing into the small craft, it lifted into the sky and blasted off into the inky depths of space. "We are really going to the Underworld?" Marlena questioned, Cloud just looked at her and nodded, answering her question, she started to stare out the window, thinking about what had happened… How not just his hair and clothes changed, but how Zashi became so evil. "You don't have your key blade anymore…You should stick to using the sword I gave you." Cloud said, handing her the sword, she looked at it, and slung it around her shoulder. Marlena went back to staring out the window, watching the stars fly past them, still not believing what Ansem had done to Zashi…

Suddenly there was darkness, and the ship landed. "We are here." Cloud got out of the ship and started to walk, with Marlena close behind; the darkness became a gloom blue, illuminating the walls, which were made of skulls and bones. Seeing this, Marlena became uneasy and clung to Cloud, who gave her a strange look, but then he had remembered that she had never been to the Underworld. "Well…Well…I never thought I would see the day when Cloud Strife would come walking, willingly through my door." A voice chimed, coming through the wall, a tall personage appeared, with blue flaming hair, and deathly blue eyes to match, he had blue skin and ocean blue robes. "Hello Hades." Was the only retort that Cloud gave, and turned away.

Noticing Marlena, he put a hand on her chin, as if examining her, saying, "Cloud…whom did you bring?" In a flash, he grabbed Hades' and said, "She's not yours." Hades took his hand away and said, "Well…let me guess…you came here looking for a heart?" Marlena's mouth fell open and said, "how did…?" Waving a hand through his flaming hair he said, "Lucky guess." Cloud stepped between them and looked Hades in the eyes and said, "Where do you keep hearts?" Hades' eyes narrowed, and he turned around, and pressed a skull on the wall, saying "I keep the hearts down here." Cloud followed closely behind him, with Marlena clinging to Cloud.

They made their way down the stairs, into a large, circular room, with a massive caldron in the middle. Pointing into it, Hades said, grinning, "I keep them all in there. However if you want to get one out, you must dive in and get it!" Half curious, and half scarred, Marlena peered into the caldron, seeing thousands of hearts, some a dull orange, while others were bright. Cloud had already taken off his cloak when Marlena put her right hand on his shoulder, saying, "What if you get caught in there?" He turned and replied, "I would rather have my heart lost here than at the hands of Ansem."


	17. Help from an Unknown

Help from an Unknown

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By

Chison

Cloud stood on the edge of the caldron, and dove into the green, slimly muck; trying to swim for the brightest heart he could see. Hades cracked a smile, and turned his back, with Marlena staring deep into the vortex, trying to guide Cloud, "There! Just a little further…" However she cut herself off with what she saw; the deeper he went, the older he became, his skin starting to deflate to his bones, like a balloon. "Hades! What are you doing to Cloud?" Marlena angrily looked to Hades, who started to chuckle now, turning around he said, "Look darlin' its simple. Cloud jumped into the vortex, and it makes him older as he goes deeper." Marlena looked back into the caldron, but saw Cloud coming back to the surface. Slowly regaining his youth, he pulled himself out of the vortex, and slumped down onto its side, "Its not down there…" Cloud said, coughing some of the ooze from the vortex, Marlena walked to Hades and shouted, "He could have died down there! How come you didn't tell us that the heart wasn't down there!" A grin just formed across Hades' face as he said, "That's right. It was never down there; but then again you can't trust the keeper of the Underworld now can you?"

Marlena helped Cloud to his feet; he looked at Hades and gave a grim glare as they walked past him. They left the room with the caldron, but found that the boat was gone, Hades walked behind them and said, "You know…the souls of the dead get really hungry right about this time…" With that, he started to walk up the walls, and onto the ceiling, laughing as he went. By this time Cloud had almost lost conscious, but Marlena kept him awake, but lightly tapping his cheek, saying "Cloud…we have a problem…Hades has left us in the Underworld…and we can't go back to the Gummi ship…" The souls from the river started to crawl onto the shore, deceased people from all generations, but there was one was familiar to Marlena: Maleficent.

Marlena shook Cloud, trying to get him to pay attention to the souls, but he drifted off and lost conscience, Maleficent charged through the others, knocking people out of her way; trying to make her way to them. She finally came face to face with Marlena, who was terrified, "You girl…Have you come seeking power? Or something else entirely…" her voice sent chills down Marlena's spine, almost dropping Cloud; she tightened her grip on him, sweat started to run down her face, staring down Maleficent, "We…we…." She stuttered, "we came looking for a heart to break a barrier…" Maleficent turned away, raising her arms shouting, "She came looking for a heart!" then turning back to her, "dear child, you cannot seek what you already have!" Plunging her left hand into Marlena's chest, she gabbed a hold of something. She dropped Cloud, hearing his body land with a thump, and ice went through her body, her breathing became shallow, eyes wide open she felt another pulse, however Maleficent's hand was around it. Slowly, her hand started to pull out from Marlena's chest, feeling the greatest ache, feeling she was loosing her soul, Maleficent's hand pulled out her heart. "So much power comes from such a small thing…" she observed it, letting Marlena fall to the ground, her eyes started to glaze over, everything becoming blurry, but she heard a loud scream. Trying to focus, she only made out a massive, black pillar towering over her. The Unknown looked at Maleficent, saying, "Return that heart. Now." She just gave a grin, but before she could do anything, a key blade slammed into her stomach, and snatching the heart, she flew back into the oozing river.

Turning her over, the Unknown held her heart in his hand, and gently placed it on her chest, where it was absorbed back into her body. Sitting right up, she looked at the Unknown, who had a bandage around his eyes, "Thank you…" she started, but he got up and muttered to himself, and held out his right hand, and a key blade-looking weapon came into his hand. It was the heart blade that Riku had once made, he simply dropped it on the ground and said, "This will get you through the barrier of darkness…However you might not be able to go through, this blade takes your heart and gives it to the Darkness." With that, the Unknown left, disappearing as quickly as he came. Marlena took it in her hand, and noticed that the Gummi ship had found they're way to them, and Cloud started to wake up. "What happened? I must have dozed off…" Cloud said, holding his head, he turned to Marlena who had the heart blade and said, "Who gave you that? Riku once used it when he was taken over by Ansem…" Marlena helped him to his feet, and climbed into the Gummi ship, not answering his question. Cloud muttered under this breathe, and blasted off from the Underworld.


	18. Beginning of the End

Beginning of the End

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Holding the heart blade in her hand, Marlena stared out the window, into space thinking, _"Who was that…I know it was an Unknown…but which one?"_ Cloud looked at her and stated, "the heart blade is evil…It can unlock hearts, revealing their true nature." Marlena looked at him, "true nature?" but her mind raced back to the game, where they fought Maleficent, when Riku had used it on her to change her into a dragon. Cloud put his attention back to flying the ship, and Marlena resumed staring out the window when she noticed something: The stars were blinking out. "Cloud look!" she said, pointing out the window, he looked, and saw the stars steadily vanish in front of his eyes. A bead of sweat ran down Cloud's face, and put his attention back to flying, saying, "Ansem has gained a lot of power from taking over your friend. I've never seen the stars disappear so fast…"

Reaching Traverse Town, they walked past the large wooden double doors, only to find Heartless running amok of the city. Large heartless with small wings, equipped with large swords were hacking and slashing their way through, leaving none behind; Cloud and Marlena sprung into action, running to the closest one; Cloud slashed the creature, but the blade went right through, like it was nothing. He took a step back, and looked to Marlena, who had her blade locked with the heartless, trying to gain an advantage, she kicked the heartless away, but it flew toward her knocking her flat on her back. She tried to get up, but the heartless had already put its foot on her chest, making her breathing short, she tried to gasp for air, but the heartless only put more weight onto her, she stabbed the heartless in the chest, it looked at the heart blade oddly, and vanished, leaving behind a glowing heart. Marlena got to her feet, and looked around, many of the heartless were still attacking the citizens, but she felt something coming from behind; she whipped the heart blade around, and it clanged against Cloud's sword. "I can't harm them…My weapons are useless…" Marlena looked at him, "well…get everyone out of here. I'll try and take them." Cloud put a hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it off and ran toward the next heartless she saw.

_"I won't let this world be taken by the Heartless…Not when I have a chance to save it!"_ Slicing through the hoards of heartless like butter, she ran through the city, desperate to try and keep them out. Running past the accessory shop and to the door for the second part of the city, she opened the door, and looked around she didn't see a heartless in sight. Moving quietly, she made her way down the steps and toward the fountain, listening to the running water, she sat on the rail of the fountain, turning around, she saw the keyhole for the world. She got up from the rail and took a few steps backward, when she heard a voice, "The easiest way to reach Kingdom Hearts is through the keyholes." She turned around to see Zashi, floating in the air, but he had changed; he had black hair, and beady violet eyes, and a grey, long sleeved shirt, with a khaki colored vest overtop and a pair of grey baggy pants, with black boots. "Don't even try to speak to Zashi. He cannot hear you, he is in the deepest depths of Darkness." Marlena gripped the heart blade tightly, glaring at Ansem, he simply grinned as he floated over to the keyhole. "There is still supreme darkness within Kingdom Hearts…" Surprise washed over Marlena, shouting, "No there isn't! Kingdom Hearts is light!" Ansem gave a hearty laugh and said, "the path leads beyond the door, and into Darkness." Marlena took a step backwards, reeling from all the information, then she swung her heart blade at Ansem, who caught the blow in his hands. "Hm…this is the heart blade that Riku made when I had control of his body…" He ripped it out of her hands and inspected it, holding it in his hands, he swung it around a few times, and then he made it vanish in front of Marlena. "Now you have absolutely nothing…Let the darkness overtake you." She shook her head and said, "No…no matter how the odds are stacked, I will rescue my friend!" Clenching her fists, a light started to shine in her right hand, and a key blade appeared in her hand!

Ansem took a step back, thinking,_ "This cannot happen! I had that boy take the key blade from her! From all my research…She should not have one!"_ Marlena looked at her key blade, however it was different from her older one. The blade was in the shape of a heart, both the rod and the blade were silver and the hilt was white. Ansem stood in front of the keyhole, then he turned his back to her, and waved his hand, and the keyhole grew large enough to let him pass, and he drifted through. Marlena raced after him, but the hole was already too small to let her pass; she pounded her fist against the wall, but took a few steps back, and pointed the key blade toward the hole. There was no light; no beam came from the key blade into the hole…nothing. _"Sora makes this look easy…"_ Marlena thought to herself as she lowered they key blade, but heard something behind her, twirling around, she saw an Unknown, but looking closer, it was Iris.


	19. A Friend Returns

A Friend Returns

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Marlena stared at Iris, "Is that you Iris?" walking slowly toward her, "Yes…I am the one called Iris…however I have some bad news…" Marlena gave her a strange look, "'bad news'? There can't be more news worse than having Ansem take over Zashi's body." Iris pulled back her hood, showing her blue eyes with tears streaming down. "I have worse news than that…DiZ, the leader of the Unknown has put the rest of the members under his control and plan to use them to reach Kingdom Hearts."

Marlena put a hand around her friend's shoulder and said, "There was an Unknown…that saved me, and he was blindfolded do you know him?" Iris looked at her friend and nodded saying, "I know him, he's Riku." They walked to the stairs which lead back to the first district, they walked around the accessory ship, and found Cloud, leaning against the building. "What took you so long…" He cut himself short when he saw Iris, his eyes narrowed and he said, "Marlena who is this?" Iris looked at Cloud, saying "I'm Iris." Cloud turned his head away, but moved his body away from the wall. "All the people are taking refuge at the Castle. The only dilemma now is finding a path into Kingdom Hearts." Marlena put her hand to her chin, and thought, but Iris spoke, "I know a path…Its through Twilight Town, and back into Hollow Bastion." They both looked at her, Marlena gave a smile and said, "That's great! We should get ready to leave for Traverse Town!" She started running for the Gummi ship, and the other two followed her, they climbed into the vessel, and blasted off from Twilight Town, now that Marlena had a friend with her, she was telling Iris about the adventure she had with Cloud, who tuned them out, and concentrated on flying to the planet.

After what seemed like years to Cloud, they finally reached Twilight Town, Marlena and Iris jumped out first, and they rushed off into the town, Cloud lagged a little behind, holding his head, "I hope I NEVER go through that again…" He made his way slowly to catch up with the girls, he passed into the central area of the town, which had a fountain, slowing his pace, he looked around, but then felt a rush of cold air. Whipping around, Cloud pulled out his sword, which was met with a massive katana, "Cloud…You have grown weak in my absence." Sephiroth said with a slight grin, "I am not weak." Cloud retorted, pushing away the katana and thrusting to Sephiroth's heart, but he was met with a hard fist. He stumbled around for a second, but jumped to miss the katana, and held his sword behind him, ready to bring it down on Sephiroth, but he vanished, leaving a crater where he stood. "Like I said Cloud, you have grown weak." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marlena and Iris trying to reach him, but an invisible barrier kept them from the fight. "Lets take this somewhere else…This place is too crowded." Cloud bargained, Sephiroth just smiled and said, "No. This place will do just fine." With that, he dashed toward Cloud, katana first, blocking the blow and returning one, Cloud tried to counter attack, but it was in vain.

Iris turned to Marlena, saying "Cloud is doing this for us so we can reach Kingdom Hearts! Come on!" Taking her hand, they left for the castle on the hill. Pushing past the gate, they entered into the castle, Marlena looked to the left, to the painting again, and there was Sora! She stopped and pointed saying, "Iris! Come quick, its Sora!" Iris stopped and came beside Marlena, but only saw a painting, not Sora, "Marlena I think you seeing things." Iris said to her friend and she stared to walk down the hall, Marlena pulled herself from the painting and joined her friend. The path split into two ways, but Iris waved her right hand, and the paths formed into one, long hallway; they slowly walked down the path, watching the walls go from a black stone, to being a polished ocean blue. Walking past the empty chambers, and up the stairs to the left, they came to the massive machine with the portal into Darkness; Marlena walked to the barrier, and summoned her key blade. "Marlena…where did you get that key blade?" Iris asked, holding her hand out to touch it. She looked at her friend and said, "I don't really know…it came to me when I faced Ansem before you came. It reminds me of Zashi." Pointing the key blade to the barrier, Marlena waited for something to happen, but Iris pulled out her key blade, which was totally grey, and had a blue gem in the hilt. Suddenly, a beam of light shot from the two blades and into the barrier, which shattered like glass.

Iris walked to the portal, followed by Marlena, but she stopped, "Marlena…if we don't make it through this…" she put her hands to her necklace, "If I become destroyed by DiZ or Ansem…I want you to have this." Iris took off her necklace and handed it to Marlena, who had a hand open and almost had tears in her eyes. "Iris…You shouldn't say things like that. We will get through this." Clenching the necklace, Marlena tied it around her neck, and they walked through the portal together, ready for anything that awaited them on the other side.


	20. Face to Face with Darkness

Face to Face with Darkness

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Looking around on the other side, they were engulfed in darkness, but they kept walking, but it started to get cold, rubbing her hands against her arms, Marlena pressed on, trying to figure out where the path lead. "Iris…Where are you?" her voice echoed throughout the darkness, looking around for her friend, she could not see, and did not hear a response. Slowing her walk, she used her hands feeling her way through the cold rock walls that surrounded her, she came to a purple light coming from a hole. Making her way to the light, she passed through it, and saw an endless sky of all kinds of shades of purple, leading into the violet horizon.

Marlena stopped to look around, trying to find Iris, but could not see her, she reached for the necklace and started rolling it around in her hand, _"This looks exactly where we left off when we were playing Kingdom Hearts at my house…"_ Marlena thought to herself as she started walking toward the horizon; however it seemed to move farther away from her the closer she got. Finally reaching the horizon, a brilliant purple light shot from the center, blinding Marlena and whisking her to another level of darkness.

When she opened her eyes, she looked at her surroundings and realized that she was back in Traverse Town. However it was not like she remembered. Buildings had turned a deep shade of purple and they were being ripped apart, by an unknown force; taking the sight in, Marlena carefully walked to the center of the town, looking into the sky, seeing that it too had become purple. Heartless crawled out from the buildings, waiting to pounce on her, just then, the heartless with wings and swords appeared, charging toward her, and the others jumped from the walls and floors. Seeing the yellow eyes, she summoned her key blade and started attacking the ones with wings first; they were much harder to deal with than the normal ones. The swords and key blade clashed with a loud clang, and moving at lightning speeds, she managed to dispatch three of the seven heartless with wings, some of them flew back a few feet, almost fearing the ferocity of her attacks, but the rest went charging after her.

After all the winged heartless were defeated, a dull green light erupted from the town square, Marlena looked it over, then cautiously walked toward the light, and she was blinded again and transported again. Opening her eyes, she saw herself in complete darkness, but a simple stone hallway, leading toward a massive heartless symbol. Walking with key blade in hand, she came to the symbol, lifted her key blade toward it, and a beam of light shot from the tip of the blade, and into the emblem, causing it to crumble, almost turning into dust when it fell to the floor. Moving past the dust, Marlena peered into the darkness, and saw a faint glimmer of light, which she started to gravitate towards.

Walking for what seemed like hours, she finally came to the light, reaching out with her left hand, the light started to expand, and turn purple, blinding Marlena again. Her mouth fell open to what her eyes took in: It was her little seaside town. Turning to the right, she saw her house, just a couple hundred feet away, and turning to the ocean, watching the waves roll in and out, however there was no wind blowing through her hair. She turned to watch the street, but there were no cars, no people sitting on the benches or in lawn chairs. There was no one. Marlena ran to the ledge separating the soft sand from the boardwalk, and looked down both ways, trying to find someone—anyone. "HELLO!" She cried, using her hands to make her voice travel longer, but there was nothing.

"Who would have ever known one of the key blade masters would be residing in this tiny place…" Marlena instantly knew the chilling voice; she slowly turned around to see Ansem, looking into the ocean. "You three dreamed of adventure, a life not bound by your world…" While Ansem spoke, the ocean turned into a deep violet, and the sky into a shade of purple. "Look where your journey has left you: one of your friends belongs to Darkness, while the other wanders in non-existence."

"I will rescue both of my friends!" Marlena shouted back to Ansem, who responded with, "so naive… You do not realize that you have lost. You cannot save your friends, because you are powerless." Angered, she summoned her key blade to her right hand, and pointed it toward him, saying, "I am not powerless." Ansem glared at the key blade, and he lifted his hands into the air saying, "You are foolish to try and impede the forces of Darkness!" Gently floating into the air, a heartless appeared behind him, having white eyes, and blue claws for hands, and a menacing grin. "I will teach you what Darkness is!" Ansem shouted as he charged toward her…


	21. Reunion of Friends

Reunion of Friends

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Marlena brought her key blade to block the heartless, but left herself completely open to Ansem's fist, which knocked her almost a yard away from him. "You are powerless here. Even with you key blade you are still nothing." Ansem said to her as he started to float over to her, however she jumped to her feet, and started slashing at him with her key blade in a mad fury. All of her efforts were in vain, as Ansem simply dodged each of them, and the heartless came from behind him, knocking her back again onto her back.

"Marlena! You've got to get up!" A voice called to her. At first she thought she was imagining it, but it came again, "Come on Marlena! Your not just fighting for your friends, your fighting for the all worlds!" It was Iris's voice in the back ground, running toward her! Ansem looked to see her, equipped with a sword. "I am surprised to see that you have found your way out of darkness." Marlena slowly got to her feet with the help of her friend, "Iris…What took you so long?" She looked at her and said, "I got a little lost in the darkness, but I found my way here when I heard your voice." The girls looked at each other, then they glared at Ansem, and ran toward him, weapons first.

Iris's sword caught the blow from the heartless hovering behind Ansem, and Marlena's key blade struck Ansem in the chest, which sent him reeling back in pain. They continued their charge, beating him back, and making his summoned heartless useless, their weapons simply a blur against him; Ansem started to float away, but Marlena threw her key blade at him, striking him, and returning to her like a boomerang. He slowly fell to the ground, breathing heavily, then he got to his feet and turned around, saying, "Remember, I have taken over Zashi's body. If you defeat me here, then you will defeat him also." Marlena charged toward him, saying, "then we will have to get him out!" pointing her key blade toward Ansem's heart, a beam of light shot from the end of the blade and into his chest.

Being frozen by the beam, Ansem's eyes grew wide as a sphere was made around his body, and a light outline of Zashi was splitting away from Ansem, and left the sphere. Iris ran to get Zashi, helping him out of the way, the sphere began to shrink around Ansem, who was still stationary, then it exploded in rays of brilliant light, which quickly grew dim. Marlena ran toward Zashi, holding his head, "Zashi are you all right?" she looked over his body, but couldn't find any wounds, he stirred, then slowly opened his eyes, "Where… Where am I?" He sat right up, and looked at Marlena saying, "This looks like home…but there is no one here…" she nodded her head, "I know…Ansem was destroying this place, until me and Iris got here to stop him."

A cold voice came from all around, "Did you really think that simply taking the host away could defeat me?" The trio looked all around to find the voice, but they couldn't find anyone; just then, the world started to quake, the sky gave way, crashing down on them, tearing the world apart. Their world started to fade, being crushed by the darkness.

When Marlena opened her eyes again, all she could see was darkness, looking around, she found that her friends had not strayed very far from her. "Where are we?" Zashi said, looking around, but a voice echoed from the darkness, "This is the heart of your world. Look around, see that there is no light to be seen, and know this is were I reign." Suddenly taking his normal form, Ansem appeared from the darkness, and with a massive grin he pointed to a path, leading through the darkness, "Through that path, lies eternal darkness, with such power, I shall be able to conquer all worlds!" With that, he started to float toward the path, Marlena tried to take a step after him, but instead started to fall deep into the darkness. All kinds of thoughts ran through her mind, about Iris, and Zashi and Cloud, but then a familiar voice came to her: Don't give up hope; it's the only thing you have.

Marlena's face changed from worry, to determination, and she started to fly, just like Ansem, she looked over to her friends who were still falling. Flying as fast as she could, she caught up with Zashi first, then Iris, "Come on guys, don't give up hope, it's the only thing we have!" After Marlena had said that, they started to stop, then float. Holding her hand in between her friends, she said, "Ok, lets go and get Ansem before he becomes all powerful, and get home!" The others put their hands in, and they took off, flying back to the path leading to darkness.


	22. Final Hours Part 1

Kingdom Hearts: Final Hours (pt 1)

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Catching up to Ansem, they floated in front of him, Marlena equipped with her key blade, and Iris with a sword. "We wont let you take Kingdom Hearts!" Marlena shouted, pointing her key blade at Ansem, who simply started to laugh, saying "I am not looking for Kingdom Hearts; I am seeking the Darkness within it!" With that, he waved his hand, and a wave of darkness flew toward them, knocking back the girls, but not Zashi. "Ansem…I know the power you hold, and I wont be hurt by the Darkness." Narrowing his eyes, he summoned the heart blade that Marlena had before; regaining her balance, Iris looked at Zashi, floating with the heart blade, with fierce determination across his face.

Within an instant, Zashi flew towards Ansem, blade first which was blocked by his hands, Ansem gripped the blade, and threw Zashi aside as if he were a rag doll. Both Marlena and Iris rushed towards Ansem, who met their weapons with his hands, after several blows, he pushed the girls away and floated down to the path leading into darkness. Slowly walking down the path, Ansem's face grew into a massive grin as he walked, knowing that ultimate power was right in front of him; turning around he looked at the trio and said, "There is no possible way you can defeat me; You are in my domain."

Turning back toward the path, he walked down, Marlena took the opportunity, and hurled her key blade at him, which he batted away with his hands, Ansem stopped and turned, saying "You have no power. I control darkness here, and your weapons have no effect." Marlena fell to the ground, slamming her fists thinking, _"Why? Why can't we stop Ansem?" _ A single tear fell from her eyes, splashing the black pathway, and then, suddenly a voice echoed throughout the darkness, ringing only into Marlena's ears, "don't cry. Your heart is the greatest weapon of all, you are the one who will seal the door." Marlena slowly stood up, key blade in hand, and pointed it toward the path toward darkness.

A single beam of light shot from the tip, illuminating the path, for as far as the eye can see, and it kept on going, seemingly forever. Marlena lowered her key blade, saying, "There is always light, even in the darkest of nights." With that, Ansem slowly turned around, his orange eyes locking onto her, and with one swift motion, he grasped her neck, raising her high up into the air, with her feet dangling. "I will give you the same torture that Sora received when he tried to lock the door!" Black, liquid matter started to flow from Ansem, and into Marlena, who squirmed, desperately trying to block the darkness, Iris appeared beside Ansem, and tried to attack him, but he simply used the dark energy to knock her back, and concentrate on Marlena again. Feeling her body grow colder, her sight started to dim, and she was loosing conscience, she was fighting the darkness with everything she had, but it was a loosing battle.

However, she stirred, and woke up, looking around, she saw brilliantly made stain-glass floors everywhere, some having stairs that go both up and down, she wandered to the edge, and peered over, only to find darkness, then a soothing voice came, "I've been waiting for a long time for the next key blade master." Getting up from the ledge, she turned and saw Sora! "Sora…What are…Where are we?" Marlena kept changing her questions, but he raised his left hand, saying, "I know you have a lot of questions, but let me talk." Taking a few steps toward her, "Marlena, this place is your heart, Ansem is right, there is darkness in every heart, but its up to us how we deal with it. Take for example Zashi, he's accepted the darkness in his heart, he's learned to use it to his advantage."

Marlena slowly walked toward Sora, with a hand stretched out, but he backed away, saying, "Now for why I'm here. I'm here because all the key blade masters are connected. We all have the same drive to rid the worlds of darkness. Look how many different stairs there are, they all lead to different hearts, all connected by the key blade." Looking again at her surroundings, now there were many different stairs leading into all directions, some going up, and others going down. "When Riku created the copy of me, he did something to my heart, which I can't explain, but I am tied to the darkness, like he was. Ansem breathed life back into the copy, and sealed me inside the darkness."

Marlena put her right hand to her chin, saying, "Wait. Your tied to the Darkness? Like Ansem?" All he gave was a simple nod, "I know it's the strangest thing, but I guess that's what happens when you're around darkness all the time. But I think I know of a plan to defeat Ansem." This perked Marlena's interest; she was waiting to hear the plan, Sora took a moment and cleared his throat, "This will sound crazy to you, but I think it's the best shot we have. The copy of me still exists in darkness; Ansem would never destroy it, because he likes to have it around. This is the idea: We let the copy take over your body, and try and contact me from inside."

Marlena was stunned at the thought, _"Let myself be taken over by the darkness? What is Sora on?" _ She turned from him saying, "I'm not sure if I like the idea of me being taken over by Darkness. It sounds like a shot in the dark." Sora walked in front of her saying, "If Ansem is not stopped, he will continue to devour all of the rest of the worlds!" Looking off into the distance, she blankly asked, "What if it fails? Then I'm part of Anti-Sora for as long as I live!" Sora shook his head saying, "No…I know this will work, because you have your friends with you." Marlena looked at him wide eyed, _"He's right…My friends are with me…But what if it doesn't work?"_

_

* * *

Ok...I realize that this chappy is WAY, EXTREMELY, overdue, and don't worry, more will be comming very soon. I wanted to get this up before I went to Anime Expo! _


	23. Final Hours Part 2

Final Hours (pt2)

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Marlena debated the idea of letting herself become controlled by darkness, weighing the options that she has before her, however something jogged her memory before she went unconscious, _"I will give you the same torture that Sora received when he tried to lock the door!"_ Looking again at her surroundings, she noticed that Sora had left her, and that the many staircases had merged into one path, leading down. Slowly walking to the path, she looked down, and the first few steps were all she could see, and then it faded into darkness. "Sora!" Marlena called out to the darkness, "Where are you?" There was no answer. Slumping to her knees, tears started to fall to the brilliant glass on the floor, _"I don't know if I can let myself be taken by darkness…I'm not sure what will happen…"_

Getting up to her feet, Marlena swallowed the lump in her throat, and started to slowly descend down the stairs, carefully one step at a time, but after the fourth step, it dropped off into darkness. Suddenly, the stair under her gave way, barley catching the other stair with her hands, she dangled above the darkness; pulling herself up, back on the stain glass, she looked around, shouting, "Sora! Where are you!" Walking the edge of the glass, she couldn't find any stairs that led either up or down. "Ansem almost got you." A small female voice came from the darkness. Marlena looked around, half curious and frightened, a faint glimmer of light came from just a few feet away from Marlena, she reeled at the brilliance of the sudden light, holding her hands in front of her face.

The light started to give shape to a little girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a small white sundress. "If I hadn't showed up, Ansem would have taken you for sure." Marlena looked at her, "Who are you?" The girl turned away, as if looking at something in the darkness and said, "I am Namine, I'm a witch that can change people's memories." _"Change memories? What would that do?"_ Namine turned to Marlena, "Memories have a major impact on the actions of the heart. They can cause pain, or joy, because of the memories that are there, anchoring the heart."

Marlena took a step toward Namine, and said, "You mean that Ansem was trying to pull me into darkness by using my memory of the Kingdom Hearts game?" Namine nodded, and with a smile she said, "That's right, Ansem has a limited knowledge of how a memory works, but he does not know properly change one. That's why you didn't allow yourself to fall into darkness, because you doubted the memory of Sora." Marlena turned to face the darkness and said, "So…this is all a memory of the game right?" she was surprised when Namine shook her head saying, "No, this is not a memory from anything, what Sora said was true: This is your heart. The stairs however, all led to darkness."

Looking at the brilliant stained glass floor, she saw the adventures she had, from when she first walked through the door of the light, right up to the dark path where she was fighting Ansem. Marlena looked from the floor, "how can I stop Ansem if he has power here? Do you know how?" Namine looked her in the eyes, and said, "I can't tell you how to defeat him…You need to figure that out on your own." Marlena swallowed another lump in her throat, and hung her head low. Lifting her head, she saw that Namine had disappeared, "Namine?" Marlena called to the darkness, but their was no response. Taking a few steps toward the center, she realized the floor had changed again, from her adventures, to a single person: Zashi.

_ "What could this mean? I like Zashi, but I don't think of him like a boy friend or anything…_" however, she couldn't deny it in her heart: she loved Zashi. She thought back to all the times when they had been together, Marlena always too shy to speak what was on her mind to Zashi, keeping it bottled up, being shy about it. Thinking more and more about him, made her heart beat faster, and her head filled with air, however she knew that Iris had a hold on him, but she wanted so badly to tell him.

Suddenly feeling cold, she saw darkness creep into the stained glass like a heavy fog, she moved to the center of the floor, trying to evade the darkness. Crying out as the darkness came in contact with her feet, and slowly crawling up her body, she started to feel cold, her beating heart started to slow down, she tried to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. From cold, her body slowly went numb, she couldn't move any of her limbs, she cried out into the darkness…

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I realize that this was kind of late for a sequel, but still dont worry, Im still working on this story. The reason why this one took so long, was I had to set the tone for this chapter, which was kind of hard to do...but still. Its here. Dont worry this is not the ending of the story, just give me about...oh...maybe about two more chapters and it might be finished... 


	24. Sealing the Door

Sealing the Door

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic

By:

Chison

Watching helplessly, Iris and Zashi tried to combat Ansem while he had Marlena in his grip, but they were swatted away like flies. "MARLENA!" Zashi screams at the top of his lungs, trying to get her attention through the darkness covering her. "Do not waste your breath. She cannot hear you now that she is totally covered with darkness. She is beyond help." Just as he finished speaking, a brilliant white, light came from Marlena, shattering the darkness around her. Backing away, Ansem's face went from prideful victory, to horror as the light receded and revealed Marlena, holding onto a key blade. She turned to Zashi, with a smile on her face; saying, "Thanks Zashi. You brought me back from the darkness. And I know the intentions of my heart." She walked toward him, holding out her left hand, saying, "I need the heart blade. I have a plan." Zashi didn't argue with her and placed the hilt in her hand; she turned back to Ansem who was still dumbstruck from her recovery. "I know how to defeat you Ansem. You thought you could bring me down with your tricks. You were wrong."

He gave a hearty laugh, saying, "Have you forgotten that you are in my realm? I control darkness!" Marlena's eyes narrowed, and within an instant, her key blade had struck against Ansem's chest, knocking him back 20 feet. _"How did she gain so much power? Its not possible the heart could not generate that much power…"_ Ansem thought as he was flying backwards, he put his feet down, trying to stop his momentum, and dug his hands into the path, but before he could even get up, Marlena was in front of his face again, beating him with the key blade and the heart blade. She jumped back, allowing Ansem to get up, but he felt a small beam pass through his torso, he followed the light to her key blade. "Zashi, here catch!" Marlena shouted, tossing the heart blade back to him, then a black beam of light shot from the tip of the heart blade towards Ansem.

Falling to his knees, Ansem let out a loud scream as his body started to fade away, piece by piece, then there was silence, and Ansem was gone. Suddenly, there was a loud clang that echoed throughout the darkness; then light started to faze through the ground where Ansem was, and it shot into the sky, revealing a massive white door. The trio looked at each other, then they carefully walked to the door; seeing that it was open, Iris took a look inside, only to see the black ground pulse with blue, and a single pair of yellow eyes were on the floor. "Look!" she said, walking backwards, "A heartless inside Kingdom Hearts!" Zashi and Marlena peered through the crack, and suddenly there were hundreds of heartless clawing at the ground, trying to gain the power of Kingdom Hearts.

Iris started to panic, "what are going to do? We can't take on that many heartless!" Looking past the heartless and at the blue light, Marlena turned to her friends, "I know what I've got to do." Walking past the massive door, she crossed into Kingdom Hearts, "Marlena what are you doing!" Zashi shouted, trying to get her attention, she turned around with a smile, saying, "I've got to lock Kingdom Hearts from the inside. It's the only way you two are going to make it home…" looking at the two of them, tears brimming in their eyes, Marlena turned her back, but turned her head, "Zashi…there is something I've got to tell you…" He took a step forward, "what is it?" She lowered her head saying, "I probably shouldn't tell you in front of Iris…but." She hesitated for a moment, "Zashi. I love you."

Zashi stood, with tears streaming down his face, _"I had always thought about Marlena just being a friend…but now that she's told me…" _He thought to himself, "Marlena. I love you too… Don't seal yourself in the door!" Zashi shouted in desperation, she simply shook her head saying, "This is something I need to do. You two better leave…the heartless will notice you soon." Zashi reached through the door and put a hand on her shoulder, "Marlena. I promise I'll come back for you." She gave a weak smile, and turned her attention back to the heartless, with tears streaming down Zashi and Iris's face they closed the door on their childhood friend. "It should be me in the door! Not Marlena…" Iris started to cry harder for her friend, and slumped to the ground. All Zashi could do was just stare at the darkness, his mind filled with thoughts of Marlena and what would have happened if they had been together…

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Ok...I know this comes VERY late...but I've had to deal with work and some compy problems. But this is the final Chapter of War for the Heart. I know this leaves on a cliffhanger, but people have submitted a kind of a cool idea: A sequel to the story...If you want to see the story contiuned, leave an opinion. Thanks for hanging in for the whole time! 

Chison


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